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For many years, studies have shown that undergraduate research experiences have numerous positive effects on students. This study seeks to determine if students get more benefit from having multiple undergraduate research experiences. Specifically, this study considered how students' self-efficacy and STEM belonging changed as a result of multiple experiences and how students' perceptions of the mentoring they receive related to the growth in their self efficacy. In-depth interviews produced several case studies that outline specific benefits students gained from having multiple undergraduate research experiences. Faculty interviews enlightened the research related to the types of undergraduate research offered in various colleges and universities. Results indicate that students do benefit greatly from having multiple undergraduate research experiences. Self-efficacy and STEM belonging are significantly higher for students who have had multiple experiences versus those students who only had one experience. There is also a correlation between the instrumental mentoring students receive and the development of their self-efficacy. Students shared the excellent benefits they gained from having multiple undergraduate research experiences and the life-altering consequences of instrumental mentoring.

This Notes in Brief contribution explores the use of autosomal DNA to engage college faculty and staff in a different approach to diversity and inclusion discussions, including antisemitism, on campuses. The author provides results from DNA testing and how he has used his results to discuss his common ancestry with students to build bridges as a former chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council on his campus.

Studies have shown the importance of program evaluation in Extension and its value in communicating Extension program successes. This current study was conducted to assess Extension educators' motivation toward program evaluation using the self-determination theory. Respondents perceived that they were not competent enough to engage in program evaluation but greatly valued program evaluation. Further analysis of our theory-informed survey data revealed that perceived competence and value positively predicted interest in program evaluation. Our findings contribute to Extension professional development discourse.

This promising practice describes a statewide effort to address the surging youth mental health crisis through the provision of Youth Mental Health First Aid training in West Virginia public schools. Youth Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based training for adults who work with youth. This interactive training increases participants' awareness of signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, adolescent development, the prevalence of mental health challenges among youth, and the steps they should take to ensure students with mental health challenges receive timely referral to mental health professionals. Survey data and participant testimonials indicate that this intervention has been highly effective in rural schools in West Virginia. In this article, we describe our work and offer implications for rural schools.

The impetus of this study is to investigate students' attitudes towards online language learning based on their previous academic experiences and year of study, including the decision to major or minor (i.e., motivation). A total of 975 students completed a survey questionnaire consisting of background information, Likert scale items, and open-ended questions. The quantitative data were analyzed using an exploratory factor analysis and one-way ANOVAs and were complemented with qualitative data based on students' responses. Findings indicate that students generally want consistent access to online learning, and that students with prior online-learning experience or with a desire to take an online course presented a statistically significant more positive perception of online language classes. There were also differences in perception of success in the online classes between those students who intended to major or minor in the language and those who did not. The results further revealed a decline in perception of success in online classes with the higher-level classifications (i.e., year of study). This study provides baseline attitudinal data to be built upon in future research and informs stakeholders of language programs in their curricular decisions.

The First2 Network is an alliance of higher education institutions across the State of West Virginia striving to improve science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) education by supporting rural, first-generation, and underrepresented college students pursuing STEM majors. Over the summers of 2019 and 2020, the First2 Network delivered two-week summer research immersion experiences at various institutions throughout West Virginia, including our institutions. The 2019 program was delivered on-campus at four universities while the 2020 program was redesigned to be delivered virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, across nine sites. Before and after the immersion experience, students who participated in the program completed a variety of survey questionnaires for the assessment of their interests, expectations, identity, and belonging in STEM. We found that the in-person research experience in 2019 had better outcomes compared to the virtual experience, suggesting that students conducting research directly under their faculty supervisors in-person and on-site will have a more positive impact on their STEM education and career. However, participation in the virtual research format with structured group activities still resulted in an improvement in belonging and STEM identity, indicating that connecting with students remotely is still worthwhile when it is the most viable option. The student population in West Virginia/Appalachia region faces a number of academic barriers, so there is much to gain by finding new ways to reach as many students as possible with early career development programs. Our virtually delivered program using citizen science projects, group discussions, and team building activities may be a useful template for other STEM programs to search for new ways to connect with a broader population of students offsite.

Limited research on diabetes education and support implementation in Appalachia, which is a critical knowledge gap considering barriers to care, and high prevalence rates. The aim was to understand what each facility is providing regarding diabetes education and services within West Virginia. This study reports cognitive interview qualitative findings from a multi-methods study. Individuals were recruited through an online search to identify clinics, organizations, and hospital staff that provided diabetes education in the state of West Virginia. Eligible participants were individuals who facilitated and managed diabetes education and support in counties of West Virginia. The interviews followed an 11-item interview guide, approved, and reviewed by a practicing Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care Education Specialist in West Virginia. All qualitative data from the interviews were hand-coded using grounded theory, by two researchers. 15 participating organizations from the state of West Virginia were included and described three phenomena: Diabetes Education Implementation (differences in: evaluation measures, modality, delivery format, topical areas); Barriers to Care (staffing, lack of training, evaluation, loss of research partnerships and funding); and Facilitators to Care (community-based involvement, interdisciplinary collaboration, capacity building (trainings). There are concerns with program drift and "risky" adaptations such as inconsistent evaluative measures, lack of training for program facilitators, variety of delivery formats, and content material. Findings recommend more alignment in program delivery to better implementation. Further studies should assess patient experiences with implemented diabetes education programs in West Virginia to further support the current research findings.

Cohort scheduling intentionally places students in the same sections of several classes (e.g., biology, algebra, and writing) with a consistent peer group and is typically done for small groups (<30 students) to enable better interaction among students. The goal of this study was to compare cohort scheduling to traditional scheduling methods among freshmen in a physiology-related program. Outcomes included retention to the university and major, semester grades, and institutional integration and perceived group cohesion. Incoming freshmen (n = 209) were randomized into control (n = 43; scheduled with traditional methods) and intervention (n = 166; coenrolled in first-year seminar course, biology, and medical terminology) groups. Outcomes were collected via surveys or requested from the university registrar. There was no significant difference in the likelihood of retention to the university or major and no differences between groups in pass/fail rates for the first-year seminar or biology courses. At the end of the semester, there were no differences between groups in Perceived Cohesion for Small Groups (P = 0.102) or the Institutional Integration Scale (P = 0.357). However, the intervention group scored higher on the Institutional Integration Scale's subscales related to social integration and faculty. Cohort scheduling did not impact retention to the university or major but improved secondary outcomes related to retention, specifically social integration and student perceptions of faculty.

Increasing the health care work force is critical to underserved communities. Unfortunately, students in these areas lack accessibility to the clinical experiences needed to get an introductory understanding of careers in health care. Therefore, a health care experience (HCE) course was created for undergraduate students that included didactic training, active learning exercises, and coordinated shadowing experiences. To evaluate the effect of the HCE on student interest in science, health care, and rural health a study was performed on HCE participants. This study assessed student background, interest in health care, and plans for future careers in underserved settings. Students who enrolled in the HCE demonstrated high interest in science, health care, and rural health. Evaluation of student reflections indicated students attained novel learning, gained insights, and recognized the importance of communication. The HCE course students exhibited amplified confidence in HCEs and had a significant increase in understanding of health care compared with a control group of students who had not completed the HCE. Undergraduate institutions can include courses like the HCE into curricula to increase accessibility to career experiences for students interested in health care careers.

Sexual violence (SV) on college campuses disproportionately affects cisgender (nontransgender) women, sexual minorities (e.g., gays/lesbians, bisexuals), and gender minority (e.g., transgender/nonbinary) people. This study investigates gender and sexual behavior differences in common SV intervention targets--SV-related knowledge, prevention behaviors, and care-seeking. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data, collected in 9/2015-3/2017, from 2202 students aged 18-24 years attending college health and counseling centers at 28 Pennsylvania and West Virginia campuses. Multivariable multilevel models tested gender and sexual behavior differences in SV history; recognition of SV; prevention behaviors (self-efficacy to obtain sexual consent, intentions to intervene, positive bystander behaviors); and care-seeking behaviors (knowledge of, self-efficacy to use, and actual use of SV services). Adjusting for lifetime exposure to SV, compared with cisgender men, cisgender women had higher recognition of SV and reproductive coercion, prevention behaviors, and care-seeking self-efficacy (beta range 0.19-1.36) and gender minority people had higher recognition of SV and intentions to intervene (beta range 0.33-0.61). Cisgender men with any same-gender sexual partners had higher SV knowledge (beta = 0.23) and self-efficacy to use SV services (beta = 0.52) than cisgender men with only opposite-gender partners. SV history did not explain these differences. Populations most vulnerable to SV generally have higher SV knowledge, prevention behaviors, and care-seeking behaviors than cisgender men with only opposite-gender sexual partners. Innovative SV intervention approaches are necessary to increase SV-related knowledge among heterosexual cisgender men and may need to target alternative mechanisms to effectively reduce inequities for sexual and gender minority people.

In this article, I examine how a sample of principals in Texas and West Virginia made sense of the learning experiences of kindergarteners and how such sensemaking appeared to affect them as instructional leaders. Examining these issues creates the opportunity to consider the types of support school leaders might need to address the changing kindergarten as well as how they might work with teachers, children, and their families so that all students are on a trajectory for school success. I employed case study methodology using sensemaking theory to examine: (a) how twelve principals made sense of the learning experiences kindergarten students are and should be having as they begin elementary school, and (b) how such sensemaking appears to affect them as instructional leaders. These principals appeared to make sense of kindergarteners' learning experiences in a complex manner that was shaped by their own beliefs about the purpose of kindergarten as well as the neoliberal contexts in which they worked. Yet, such sensemaking did not appear to translate into their decision-making as instructional leaders, even though these principals worked in different state-level policy contexts and had varying resources available to them within their schools. Instead, policymakers' neoliberal demands for academic achievement in the later grades seemed to dictate their point of emphasis in their decision-making process. To address these issues, I provide several suggestions to support principals in developing their understanding of early education so that they can instructionally lead these programs in a manner that supports children's success in school.

In the fall of 2021, a cohort of second-year osteopathic medical students took part in a regional dissection experience led by their peers. During the students' first year of medical school, when they would have normally participated in anatomy dissections, they instead took part in a prosection-based gross anatomy course due to COVID restrictions. Many students requested the opportunity to learn dissection techniques, dissect regions of interest for specialties, and participate in this medical school "rite of passage" when COVID restrictions eased. This article describes the planning and implementation of a regional dissection program for 42 second-year medical students that occurred outside normal curricular hours at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). This program was led by two second-year osteopathic medical students who had previously performed a full donor dissection as well as assisted in teaching at the college level. One of the main advantages of this program was the use of a limited number of donors compared to the large number of students who were able to participate in dissection in a meaningful way. A disadvantage was that each pair of students was only able to dissect one region of the body during their sessions. A quality improvement survey was conducted after the experience and 26% of participants provided feedback for potential future programs at WVSOM. Students reported enjoying the experience and becoming more comfortable using dissection instruments. This dissection program could be used as a template for an anatomy elective, a brief introduction to dissection, or a summer course.

The purpose of this research paper was to highlight the factors students and school staff identify as contributors to mental health issues students attending rural, low socioeconomic high schools experience and the specific mental health issues they witness most. A collective case study was conducted in four rural high schools, two in Kansas and two in West Virginia. Field work at each school involved observations, document collection, and semi-structured focus group interviews with students and school staff. The factors identified as contributors to poor student mental health were pressure, technology, home life, bullying, and stigma. Anxiety, stress, depression, lack of health coping, and suicidal comments emerged as the specific mental health struggles students deal with the most. Recommendations for practice include practical ways to address the identified contributors of poor student mental health in rural schools and strategies to normalize mental health in the rural school environment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore teacher-coaches' awareness and utilizations of educational learning theories within the conscious competence model of learning. Method: This study was framed with a qualitative constructivist exploratory case study design and used semi-structured interviews and member reflections to ask nine teacher-coaches from the United States about their understandings and use of learning theories. Results: Findings indicated that most teacher-coaches were either unconsciously incompetent, consciously competent, or unconsciously competent about their use of learning theories. Some teacher-coaches did not use learning theories because they drew upon their own personal experiences instead or due to participation and performance differences between classroom and athletic settings. Discussion/Conclusion: As a result, the findings corroborate previous research where coaches or teachers were unconsciously unaware of learning theories. Future research should aim to continue to try and further bring learning theories to the conscious awareness of teacher and coach preparation programs.

Purpose: This paper aims to present a case study on how the strong relationships with multiple stakeholder groups can benefit educational programs through the curriculum redesign process by using the experience of Marshall University and Intuit. Design/methodology/approach: This paper highlights how Marshall's faculty used Intuit's Design Thinking process to engage with stakeholders to innovate a curriculum that is sustainable and socially responsible and transfers workforce skills and concepts. This case describes how to: involve stakeholders to discover their pain points and desired outcomes, develop prototype curriculums from stakeholders' feedback and test and iterate prototype curriculums on stakeholders until their expectations (e.g. quality, innovation and value) of the curriculum are exceeded. Findings: Faculty applied Design Thinking to engage with stakeholders to infuse contemporary knowledge and skills that positively impact their workforce development and societal goals into the curriculum. This process promoted critical thinking and a "stakeholder-centered" orientation with various groups including AACSB and employers. These curriculum changes ultimately provide greater experiences to students while providing relevant skills of interest to employers and society. Originality/value: Stakeholders are often consulted on educational programs; however, it is unusual for an industry stakeholder to provide their best innovative practices to assist colleges with the transformation of academic curriculums. Moreover, it is unusual for higher education institutions to fully embrace these industry processes and integrate these experiences within their collective culture. Finally, the detailing of this case allows for other colleges to apply these concepts to their curriculums.

We joined an initiative to engage faculty and undergraduate students in research by scheduling regular early college-level mathematics research presentations with pre- and post-lecture exercises. While our program featured six talks that were predominantly in the mathematical biosciences, the concept of creating themed topics for presentations can be extended to other areas of mathematical research, and the length of the program can also be scaled. This article discusses three of the presentations, including QR codes to access their recordings. The purpose of this article is to present the materials of the talks from this initiative and how faculty members can use the materials for potential explorations with students. The hope is the audience may use these, as presented, for study with students, with minimal start-up investment and to use this as a model for future undergraduate research efforts.

In response to rising college tuition and student debt over the past three decades, some institutions, localities, and states have implemented a range of tuition-free promise programs to promote college access and success. Programs vary widely in their design features, including eligibility stipulations and award structure. I explore the growing but understudied trend of tying eligibility for a free college program to enrollment in vocationally oriented fields. Using web-scraped data on nine statewide promise programs with program-based eligibility requirements, I describe which programs are and are not eligible and discuss policy considerations for tying program eligibility to academic programs geared toward the workforce. These findings hold important implications for students in their enrollment decisions and labor market trajectories and for public perceptions of the purpose of higher education.

This paper comparatively examines residents' attitudes toward the tourism economy across eight rural counties at varying tourism development stages within the Monongahela National Forest region, West Virginia. Nine hypotheses related to attitudes toward sustainable tourism, perceptions of regional collaboration, and perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) are proposed and evaluated with the Social Exchange Theory (SET), Tourism Area Life Cycle model (TALC), and Doxey's Irritation Index as the theoretical foundations. While the nine hypotheses are not consistently supported with mixed findings, it seems that residents from counties at higher levels of development stages are more likely to support tourism development because of its positive economic benefits to communities while disfavoring tourism development for its negative social impacts on communities; to value the importance and benefits of regional collaboration, and to score higher on their communities' strengths in tourism development. Research implications, limitations, and future research needs are discussed.

The curriculum evaluation described in this paper documents the efforts of a group of university faculty to implement Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in two kinesiology-related courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The engaged students (n = 34) completed pre-post questionnaires measuring changes in intercultural effectiveness and a series of self-reflective prompts regarding their experiences in the involved courses. The evaluation suggests intercultural effectiveness may be best supported when COIL course design: (a) nurtures students' interest in cultural exploration and learning; (b) engages students in peer-to-peer interaction and social connection across cultures at the beginning and throughout the experience; and (c) supports students' emotional growth and resilience by providing opportunities to be challenged and problem-solve. Directly informing the sustainability of COIL innovations are administrative supports and strategic prioritization of intercultural engagement amid a higher education climate shaped by supercomplexity factors.

Objective: Examine associations between care seeking reasons in college health and counseling centers and sexual violence (SV). Participants: College students (n = 2,084 baseline, n = 1,170 one-year follow up) participating in a cluster randomized controlled trial of an SV reduction intervention on 28 campuses. Methods: Computer-based survey data gathered during students' clinic visit and one-year follow up. Results: Despite high prevalence of SV, students almost never sought care specifically for SV (0.5% of reported visits). Gender differences emerged for reasons students sought care generally, but were not associated with differences in care seeking among those who experienced SV. At baseline and one-year, students who reported SV were more likely to state mental or sexual and reproductive health as their reason for care seeking. Conclusion: Many students seeking care have experienced SV yet present with other health needs. Providers need to recognize this and have a low threshold for providing SV resources routinely. Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2057189

Purpose: If PK12 administrators aspire to interrupt bias-based bullying, they need to understand their role in perpetuating structural and social inequality. The purpose of this study was to examine administrators': 1) awareness of gender-based bullying, 2) initial intentions to address bullying, and 3) actions that interrupted or perpetuated gender-based bullying. Methods: This qualitative study used a purposeful sample U.S. court cases and 36 interviews with administrators and policy consultants to explore PK12 leaders' understanding of gender-based bullying and actions to disrupt bullying. Findings: Our findings provide a more expansive definition of administrative bullying and brings attention to the personal complicity of educational leaders in perpetuating gender-based bullying. Administrators in this study modeled support for bullying through each of these four types of bullying -- by direct action, facilitated support, accommodating external stakeholders, and resisting efforts to educate themselves or others on issues related to gender-based bullying. All of these approaches allow bias and bullying to continue. The study also reveals how some leaders interrupt bullying by collaborating with students, parents, and community-based organizations. Implications: Policymakers, leadership preparation instructors, and PK12 administrators may be interested in how administrative behaviors perpetuate gender-based bullying. A lack of knowledge about leaders' personal complicity in bullying and about gender-diversity fundamentally interrupts two of the main roles of PK-12 leaders: implementing policies and leading instructional practices. The results of the study suggest the need for additional policies, procedures, and training to support leaders committed to interrupting gender-based bullying.

Many undergraduate students avoid mathematics classes due to math anxiety. This curtails options, particularly STEM majors where workers are needed and jobs are prevalent. This study aimed to investigate whether self-efficacy, mindfulness, and self-compassion predicted math anxiety. Participants of this study were undergraduate students (N = 345) from the Mathematics Department at a large Southeastern U.S. university. There was a significant difference in math anxiety scores between students pursuing STEM and non-STEM degrees. Non-STEM majors had higher scores on a measure of math anxiety. Hierarchical multiple regression results suggested that self-efficacy and self-compassion predicted math anxiety. There was a significant correlation, but not a predictive relationship, between mindfulness and math anxiety.